Sleep Apnea Therapy – Baytown, TX

Experience Successful Sleep Apnea Treatment

The first major step towards helping patients with sleep apnea is determining whether they’re a victim of CSA or OSA. At Sleep Better Baytown, our initial recommendation will be for you to complete the STOP-BANG assessment, which is a short and simple “yes” or “no” survey that can indicate your overall risk. If the results come back positive, it will be time to undergo a sleep study. Finally, once Dr. Hutto understands the exact cause and severity of your symptoms, treatment planning can commence.

Patients who are determined to suffer from mild to moderate OSA should be able to achieve lasting relief with a custom-made oral appliance. In fact, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine strongly recommends that this should be the first therapy method that dentists and doctors recommend. If the patient is experiencing severe OSA/CSA, traditional CPAP treatment or combined therapy (the use of both a CPAP and an oral appliance) is likely to be more effective.

Did You Know?

• Patients who suffer from untreated sleep apnea are more likely on average to be obese, struggle with weight loss, and find themselves incapable of keeping weight off after losing it.
• Many people who believe that they’re experiencing insomnia are actually waking up regularly throughout the night thanks to Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
• As long as adults sleep for 7-8 hours on a consistent basis, there is no reason that they should feel excessively tired or fatigued during the daylight hours.
• The negative effects of sleep deprivation and untreated sleep apnea are so severe that they’re comparable to Alzheimer’s, alcoholism, and drug addiction.
• Sleep apnea is one of the top causes of chronic erectile dysfunction.
• Do you regularly take trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night? Sleep apnea is a likely cause of this habit.
• Do you grind your teeth? This harmful action can also indicate the presence of untreated sleep apnea.
• Around 80% of patients who currently suffer from sleep apnea have either been misdiagnosed or have never received a proper diagnosis at all. An even greater percentage aren’t receiving the proper treatment for their condition.
• While snoring isn’t necessarily directly related to sleep apnea, chronic snorers are still more likely to develop the condition over time and experience a higher risk of strokes, cardiac disease, acid reflux, and more. That’s why Dr. Hutto regularly recommends the use of a custom-made oral appliance for patients who excessively snore.
• The size of a patient’s tongue and/or neck may actually put them at greater risk for developing sleep apnea over time.
• A lack of quality sleep can increase a person’s risk for being involved in a motor vehicle accident dramatically. In fact, when testing tired test subjects against inebriated test subjects on a closed course driving test, the former group was found to be MORE likely to be involved in an accident.

Snoring Isn’t Dangerous? Think Again

One of the earliest indications of sleep apnea in a patient is often snoring. Snoring occurs in much the same way as singing, speech, and laughter all do – air vibrates throughout the mouth and against the throat and tongue. This can occur when the airway is experiencing a minor obstruction during sleep. While breathing may not be entirely hindered, it can still lead to patients struggling to inhale and exhale to the fullest extent. Over time, chronic snoring can lead to the gradual development of sleep apnea because of these difficulties.

If you don’t currently experience full-blown sleep apnea but still snore loudly on a consistent basis, we recommend that you reach out to Sleep Better Baytown and schedule a consultation. Dr. Hutto can design an oral appliance that helps repositions the mouth comfortably and reduces your lifelong risk for health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and other negative consequences caused by a lack of good sleep.

Learn More About Snoring and Sleep Dentistry

A Solid Alternative to CPAP Treatment

For many years, CPAP machines have been considered the gold standard when it comes to sleep apnea treatment. While it’s true that advanced cases of OSA or CSA may still require CPAP intervention for true relief, the ugly truth is that an alarming majority of patients are actually CPAP intolerant.

When using a CPAP, the patient must wear a mask that covers their face and/or nose and forces air down their lungs. The machinery is notorious for being loud as well, and many people simply can’t get used to the sights and sounds associated with it. If you are a chronic snorer or have been diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnea, Dr. Dean Hutto strongly recommends giving oral appliance therapy a try first. Our practice offers several different brands of appliances that can be used to conservatively and comfortably reposition the jaw as you rest easy, helping the airway stay open and unencumbered. These oral appliances are also very easy to keep clean and small enough that they can be traveled without any strain. Best of all, patients are much more likely to use them consistently!

Is Oral Appliance Therapy for Sleep Apnea Covered by Insurance?

In most cases, a patient’s medical insurance will cover the cost of oral appliances used to treat sleep apnea. Recently, some dental insurance plans have also begun to include this type of coverage. Our team here in Baytown, TX is very knowledgeable about all matters regarding insurance, and we’ll be happy to file claims, work directly with providers, and help patients maximize the reimbursements they deserve.